The holiday shopping season may be long gone but that isn’t stopping many of us from heading to the mall to peruse our favorite clothing stores and boutiques.
While heading into the fitting room to try on clothes can be an enjoyable experience, this enclosed space, sometimes outfitted with 360-degree mirrors, has the potential to turn any upbeat attitude into a sour mood. Every woman that loves to shop knows that sinking feeling when only one out of the 10 garments we took in with us is a true winner.
It’s safe to say that the risk of finding an outfit that just doesn’t look right off the hanger has kept many of us from making purchases on e-commerce websites. In turn, this widespread consumer uncertainty caused merchants to seek out other alternatives for helping shoppers find the right size, fit and look for that winning outfit.
New technologies are now giving way to “virtual” fitting rooms, which allow shoppers to virtually “try on” apparel with a custom model before making a purchase. Not only has this technology proven to yield higher conversions and lower return rates for e-tailers, but consumers gain lifetime value in their decision to hit the checkout by ultimately achieving their winning look.
As one virtual fitting room provider puts it, “Fashion is one of the most emotional purchases, and customers do not want to purchase the right to return an item. They want to buy clothes that fit.” And we couldn’t agree more.
WebsiteMagazine.com recently took a step inside some of today’s virtual fitting rooms gracing e-commerce platforms and websites. Let’s try them on for size.
MimicMe
As its name so aptly puts it, MimicMe allows shoppers to mix and match apparel, shoes and accessories on a fully digitized 3D customizable model with both a front and back view. According to company officials, this highly visual virtual fitting room allows online visitors to sample large amounts of retailers’ inventories in one sitting period so consumers can easily visualize how items look together.
Served from a GPS-based infrastructure, MimicMe can be integrated into all e-commerce platforms and existing websites. It also operates across all devices, from desktops to mobile phones to tablets, without a plugin. To see this virtual fitting room in action, visit quizclothing.co.uk or menatwork.nl.
My Virtual Model
Like MimicMe, this next virtual fitting room – called My Virtual Model – calls up merchants’ current clothing images and uses two images – a front and back view – to help consumers see how they fit from all angles. Models are shown wearing each outfit, but all buttons, images and links surrounding the models are controlled by the shopper.
Thanks to an Application Programming Interface, images of the models can also be altered for body shape, size and appearance. Meanwhile, consumers can dress, undress and turn the model to get a closer look at how the garments and other items will appear in real-life.
Fits.me
Fits.me speaks for itself, as this virtual fitting room specifically hones in on fit and size. Upon visiting a retailer’s website, consumers can input their measurements and see how the garments appear on shape-shifting robotic mannequins that mimic their body types – meaning more time to shop, and less time spent returning ill-fitting items at the checkout counter.
As we venture out into the world, making a lasting impression is certainly a priority for many. Whether it’s to wow the company interviewing you for that high-paying job, or to turn heads at the local bar, that perfect outfit is out there, so why not embark on your search from the comfort of your computer or mobile device? Besides, we could get used to skipping the long line at the fitting room…
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration click here.
Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.
Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves
